I really like this story about learning to trust in someone again. I understand how hard it was for Lexie to trust anyone after her father left her and her mother. But it isn't until her father died that she meets Theo and that Lexie was able to understand her father and why he left her a travel agency and wanted her to meet Theo.
Both Lexie and Theo are similar people, in that they never stay in one place because they both learned to not trust themselves or others. It's not until they start sharing each others story and working together that they start opening up and trust each other, but it's a bumpy road getting there, but it's worth it.
I felt connected to Lexie because I understand not trusting people who are suppose to love you and after many disappointments, you close off to any type of relationship with others and have doubts about any new one, but I'm glad that Lexie keeps trying with Theo and ends up in a relationship that real and open and loving.
I really enjoyed all of the secondary characters Rachel, Fran, Ange and Lexie's mother they are essential being a sounding board and catalysis for Lexie to look at her life and see where she wants to make changes and try again to make all her relationships better. They made me feel secure that Lexie had someone looking out for her whenever she doubted herself.
This is a wish that does come true and at the perfect time. Christmas.
I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for an advance story about opening up and trusting again and that in this story it comes true.

This was a really cute holiday read and I liked the enemies to lovers trope, but overall this didn't feel like Emily's usual emotional writing, something was missing for me to make this an unforgettable read - like Always, in December was.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Stone's holiday novels always make me emotional and this was no different. Her writing and characters she creates are always so compelling and layered. I enjoyed the travel company aspect of this story and reading about our main characters navigating their grief. I am looking forward to Stone's next novel!

I enjoyed reading A Winter Wish by Emily Stone. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

This was such a sweet story with a dose of loss, and grief weaved into it.

Lexie had a complicated relationship with her father. After he dies he leaves her half of his company along with Theo the grumpy but very handsome man who owns the other half now. She has been living a nomadic life that suits her love for traveling.

Throughout the story we see her struggles to accept the different versions of her Dad she never knew. She feels left behind and unsure she wants to be part of a company who at their core thrives on giving families the vacations of their dreams when hers never came true.

I got lost in this story that had the perfect mix of heartfelt moments as well as funny and of course a romantic interest. This is a must read Christmas story.

Emily Stone writes the most delightful holiday romances. This one has a lot of holidays in it, but could be read and enjoyed any time of year. There's some enemies to lovers vibes. Lexie and Theo have some difficulty understanding each other and communicating. Their relationship is very sweet in the end. They have excellent chemistry and banter throughout the book. The travel in the novel offers excellent escapism for the reader. One of the main themes of the story is grief. I think the grief element was handled very well and represents the complexities of life.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for this eARC!

More than just a romance between Theo & Lexie, this was a beautiful story about grief, finding yourself, and understanding that life is almost always unpredictable. As someone who struggled with her own father before and after his death, I absolutely loved Lexie and her journey and the people who eventually surrounded her. A perfect heartwarming holiday story.

Lexie is currently a nanny for two girls for the winter in a ski town in Austria. She enjoys the skiing and getting with friends. She gets a call from her mother saying that her father has died. Lexie’s first reaction is that she doesn’t care. The man left her mother and her when she was a young child. Afterward, all she got was a Christmas card from him. Her mother requests her to go to the funeral and she agrees to fly home. She soon learns that he had a business called R&L Travel which specializes in travels to areas where celebrations occur. It turns out he left half of the business to her and half to a man named Theo who had been working with him in the business. Theo is quite rude to her and when told that they two of them must manage the company for a year at a profit, she turns the job it over to Theo while remaining a silent partner as she has no interest in the business and even less interest in working with him.

Back in Austria, she gets a request to travel to Menton France for the lemon festival. As it’s just a few days and all expenses are paid, she agrees. She enjoys the food and other entertainment but doesn’t care to interact with Theo as he is his usual snarky self. But she soon changes her mind and decides to return to the UK and work alongside Theo as they manage the company. Of course, togetherness begins to make them see one another in a different light. Could they possibly be attracted to one another?

This is my third book by this author and I enjoyed the first two. However, this book was just not for me. First, it was simply too long and needed to have some duplicate scenes deleted. I did not like Lexie at all. She is so flighty and immature. I didn’t feel like I could connect with the other characters either. As much as characters wanted to make Richard out to be a good man, I didn’t feel he qualified for that. Overly long books and shallow characters make it difficult to like a book. Sorry.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A 3-3.5/5 holiday romance.

I waited a little bit until I got some fall weather outside to pick up this book because it seemed like a cozy read that I could curl up with. While it was super cozy and I actually enjoyed the plot and felt emotionally invested in the stories surrounding the romance, my main problem was a lack of connection to the characters. I just wasn't feeling the chemistry and emotion between them, and that could partially be because I wasn't feeling connected to the FMC. I actually liked Emily Stone's writing style, and this is my first book of hers. I'll definitely give her another shot. I think these characters will find the people that connect with them, I just wasn't one of them!

Lexie inherits half of her estranged father’s holiday travel company and must run it alongside Theo, his attractive yet bad-tempered executive. As they work together over the year, sparks fly between them during a trip to Spain, but navigating both business and their growing attraction proves challenging.

I always look forward to reading Emily Stone’s winter novels in the fall. While I thought A Winter Wish was a good story, it wasn’t my favorite of hers. The book is told entirely from Lexie’s perspective. I wish we could have seen Theo’s side as well especially to gain insight into his interactions and memories with Richard, Lexie’s dad. I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope between Lexie and Theo—it fit well with the circumstances they were in. While both characters had moments of immaturity, it was understandable given the emotional situations they faced. Overall, I’d rate this 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads.

Lexie and Richard are thrown together to run her late father's travel company. However, they have met before and have very different perspectives on the life of her father Richard. Each is grieving in their own way and it seems like they are grieving two different people. To Lexie Richard was an absent father much of the time, often canceling at the last minute. To Theo he was a substitute father figure and encourager. How can they reconcile their views of him along with their grief? Lexie is also keeping distance from her half sister, Rachel, who she believes was always more important to their father. I loved the character, Ange, and can just see all her big dangly earrings. Harry is a bit of offbeat character but I believe Theo sees something in him similar to what Richard saw in Theo. Harry's holiday ties give him a nice personality quirk to ponder. All of the characters are dealing with some type of loss in their lives though the story is not dragged down by it; there is much hope and wishes for a happy future.

I really enjoyed this book. While a romcom it was also serious. I loved all the characters and the interaction. It was just an all around good book. Thank you for the opportunity.

My first book by Emily Stone and it certainly won’t be my last. Loved the European settings and the holiday story built around a travel agency. A bit deeper than the usual RomCom but still very uplifting. The pacing was great and I enjoyed the slow burn between Theo and Lexie. Great side characters too.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

I wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t my favorite. I felt there was no spark between our FMC and MMC and I struggled to want to pick up my kindle to read this. It really all just felt a bit forced.

I wanted so much more from this book, especially as it's my first Emily Stone book. While I didn't hate it...I unfortunately didn't love it. It really boils down to the MC's both lacking substance. Lexie was "abandoned" by her dad when she was younger and has made it literally her entire personality. The amount of whining and complaining and blaming literally EVERYTHING on her dad not being there for her was annoying to the point that I almost stopped reading. Like...seriously. It made her come across very immature and bratty.

Theo was a little bit better, but not by much. I was so desperately hoping for a resolution with him and his parents - like, maybe his mom opening her eyes and leaving his dad but no such luck. I didn't really get the romance connection between him and Lexie, but here we are.

Overall, the book was quick and easy to read. I've heard great things about other Emily Stone books, so I'll give those a try and see what I think.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

First of all, I want to thank Dell for sending me an early copy to review! This one comes out tomorrow!

This was a lovely story! It's not as Christmassy as the cover makes it seem. The story begins around Christmas, but it takes place over a year. There are definitely some Christmas vibes in some parts, though!

Grief is such a hard thing to navigate, especially when you're grieving for someone you never really got to reconcile with. I enjoyed getting to see the process of Lexie moving through her grief and come out stronger on the other side. Initially, I thought Lexie was kind of entitled and annoying, so it was great to see her character growth and her own up to some of the things she could have handled better in the past.

On the romance side, I ate up all the tension between Theo & Lexie. It definitely felt more like a slow burn, but it was worth it when they finally got together!

Overall, this was a very cute book and I really enjoyed it! Thanks again, Dell!

4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
Release date 10/15/2024
This story was absolutely beautiful! It is so much more than a romance novel. The topic of grief and complicated family relationships are talked about heavily throughout the book. And then we get this sweet and tender workplace romance happening in the middle of all the chaos 🥰 this book also had me itching to go to Europe with all the different holidays and festivals the characters experience!
This was my first Emily Stone book and it definitely won’t be the last!

Okay, this was another one not for me. I loved the premise of the travel company but I’m just over books where the entire plot could be solved if the main characters were mature and had conversations. Maybe I’m just old and grumpy but the childishness is old to read and not entertaining. Also, I’m over characters (and people) making their trauma their entire personality. Yes, your dad left, lots do, it doesn’t excuse your behavior or running away from literally everything. Let’s normalize in life and books, working through trauma and becoming stronger not in spite of but because of our experiences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Books/Random House Publishing for the ARC.

4.75 stars

This holiday enemies-to-lovers romance tackles dealing with the complicated grief of losing a parent you that wasn't there for you and also coming to terms with learning someone you respect wasn't that same person to everyone. I hurt for Lexie dealing with her grief while learning how others saw her late father in such a different way. I enjoyed both characters arcs in their own emotions as well as their relationship. Even with the angst during the enemies portion, I found the story to be beautiful and emotional throughout. My only qualm was how Theo with his own complicated relationship with his parents was not giving Lexie any benefit of the doubt that maybe he didn't have the whole story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

When Lexie finds out that her estranged father, who died recently, left half of his holiday travel company to her, she is shocked & surprised. And the other half of the company is left to the very handsome & rude young executive, Theo. The will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.

This book was simply beautiful, raw, & full of all kinds of emotions. This is an Emily Stone book, so some tears will be shred. Be prepared for that!

I loved how complex yet wonderful Lexie's relationship was with her dad. The holiday travel company's theme & idea were absolutely fascinating & magical. Glad how her dad planned everything to make up for all the years for being not there. Especially bringing Lexie & Theo closer.

Theo & Lexie had a slow burn that worked perfectly in favor of their relationship. I adored their banter, and the relationship development.

The last letter from Lexie's dad, the reason behind the company's name, the Iceland trip years in making, and the last scene involving a certain magical element were the few amongst the many that made me sob.
This book reminded me so much of Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent and The Simple Wild by K A Tucker; 2 of my absolute favorites.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.